U.S. Balloonist Sets Down in Brazil

Balloonist Steve Fossett knows something about luck, and when not to push it.

After bouncing between thunderstorms across South America, the millionaire adventurer set his balloon down in a cattle ranch in southern Brazil on Friday, abandoning--halfway to his goal--his latest attempt to float around the globe.

With more bad weather looming in the South Atlantic, Fossett aborted his flight about 150 miles from the ocean. Going down in the water is far more dangerous than doing so on land.

“I did have a chance to make it to the end,” the 57-year-old Chicago businessman said in a teleconference. “But you have to assess the risk, and the weather pattern was just plain shaky across the Atlantic, and if I were to miss South Africa I would be left out in the water.”

Even so, Fossett did set a record in his fifth bid to become the first solo balloonist to circle the Earth. His flight lasted 12 days, 13 hours, making it the longest solo balloon flight in terms of duration.

The balloon went down near Brazil’s border with Uruguay and about 900 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro.

The landing was a bit rocky. Fossett said the mechanism to deflate the balloon didn’t work, and he was dragged along for about a mile. Finally, he said, he used cable cutters to get the job done: “. . . The balloon dragged along for another mile and caught on a line of trees.”

Fossett’s troubles began Thursday when he crossed the Andes mountains. Strong winds that bounced his Solo Spirit had him donning a parachute. Crossing Argentina and sailing into Brazil, he ran into deadly thunderstorms.

Fossett launched his balloon Aug. 4 from Australia.

Will there be another try?

“I don’t want to speculate at this moment,” the adventurer said. “I’ve tried so many times before, I’m afraid my luck will run out if I try it again.”